“And how would you embarrass me, exactly?” Blake leaned back, smiling at her.
“By beating you all so thoroughly that you’ll never forget it.” Jane shrugged.
“Oh ho, that sounds like a challenge!” Richard glanced between Jane and Blake, laughter in his eyes. “Come on, let’s see this then.”
“You do not even know what game we are playing, Miss Pembleton,” Blake pointed out.
“You have never played cards with Jane before, have you?” Alexander murmured to him.
“No.” Blake frowned. “Why?”
“Let us just say she takes after our mother,” Emily said, her voice full of meaning.
“What does that mean?” Blake frowned.
“You are about to find out.” Jane took a seat at the card table, a sly grin on her face.
“Well, what are we playing?” Richard looked at Blake.
“Let us play commerce—unless that is too tawdry for you, Miss Pembleton.” Blake raised an eyebrow at her as he placed the deck of cards on the table between them.
“Hardly. Though I suggest you prepare to lose, Your Grace,” she replied.
“Care to wager?” he asked.
“Is that not the point of commerce?” Jane laughed softly, glancing at the people around her, who returned her smile.
“If we are playing for money, then count me out.” Nigel shook his head. “Olivia will skin me alive. I lost nearly thirty guineas a few months ago, and the earful she gave me…”
“Miss Pembleton thinks playing for money is… What did you say the other day?” Blake turned to look at Jane.
“Pedestrian.” She flushed slightly as she said it.
“Exactly.” He nodded.
“Then what will we wager?” Nigel looked confused.
“I would propose we wager truths,” Jane offered. “As in, the winner will get to pick someone and ask them a question, and that person must answer truthfully.”
“And I would propose asks.” Blake’s eyes flicked to Jane and then away again.
“Asks?” Emily sounded confused.
“The winner gets to give someone a task—an ask if you will. And that person must do it.” Blake noticed Cressida looking uncertain and added, “Nothing too improper, of course.”
“Well, that would certainly not be boring. Truths and asks. And I assume we say our wager at the beginning?” Richard asked.
“Of course.” Blake nodded.
“How do we up the ante?” Cressida looked around the group.
“Perhaps the amount of truths and asks?” Jane offered.
“This is going to get very interesting, isn’t it?” Nigel murmured, looking as though he were both intrigued and already regretting his decision.
“Perhaps.” Blake’s eyes briefly met Jane’s, and he hastily looked away.
“Shall I deal?” he asked as he reached towards the cards at the same time that Jane said, “I shall deal.”
